Tag Archives: UK

A mystery still remains concerning the extraordinary “compassion” shown by the Scottish government in releasing a mass murderer who was dying of cancer. Justice Secretary Jack Straw wrote letters to his counterpart in Scotland, Kenny MacAskill, which emphasized that it was in the UK’s “overwhelming interests” not to exclude Abdelbaset al-Megrahi from any prisoner exchange program. Two years ago during discussions between the UK and Libya over oil, Straw noted that “wider negotiations are reaching a critical stage” and the name of the Lockerbie bomber entered discussions between the UK and Scotland.

The United Kingdom needs a thorough investigation into this matter. Was oil the driving point in securing the release of this two bit muderer or was concern about “compassion” for a dying man the reason? Of course, it would be interesting to uncover how many murderers over the past decade were released from a lifetime sentence due to “compassion” on the part of the government. There is something smelly in the ancient kingdom of Scotland.

Two British tourists have been arrested in Brazil for making false charges of being robbed in a city where robbery is highly unusual. This case suggests either (a) UK law schools graduate incompetent lawyers or (b) Brazilian police don’t make sense. According to the police, Shanti Andrews and Rebecca Turner who both recently graduated from law school decided to pull a scam by claiming they were robbed in order to collect insurance. The two bright ladies walked into a Brazilian police station to file a report and, according to the police, left the items they claimed were stolen lying around in their hotel room. Could be, but if so it suggests the two young ladies need a refresher course on how to scam police.

The two young ladies are being held in a notorious Brazilian jail where vicious criminals are lodged, no doubt, due to the gravity of claiming they lost some panties or dresses or what. Police say they can not place the two ladies in a less violent jail because no one has provided proof these women actually graduated from a law school. I am not that bright, I only have a Ph.D, but what does the fact one did or did not graduate from a law school have to do with the ladies being locked up in with murderers and thieves?

The people of Great Britain believed their prime minister, Tony Blair was telling the truth concerning the need for their armed forces to fight in Afghanistan. Eight years have passed and the patience of most Britons has run out. A survey conducted by the newspaper, The Independent, reveals a majority of the country has concluded the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable and their sons and daughters should be headed home. About 52% want the troops home right away and nearly two-thirds of women do not believe there is any such thing as “winning the Afghan war.” The vast majority of people are particularly upset at the poor level of equipment provided fighting men and women.

Gordon Brown insists the UK has accomplished important goals in securing areas in Afghanistan from Taliban control. Of course, the real question is whether those regions are really safe and secure. There is scant doubt after eight years Afghanistan is ruled by corrupt and inefficient leaders who are unable or unwilling to guarantee their people freedom and the basic components of a decent scale of living.

A businessman who was held and tortured in the United Arab Emirates in the aftermath of bombings in London believes he has uncovered evidence that British consular officials colluded with local law enforcement officials to allow him to be subject of torture. Alam Ghafoor, is among several British citizens who argue there was British complicity in their detention and torture. He was on a business trip to UAE just a few days after the London bombings in July, 2005 when he along with a business associate were dragged from a restaurant and threatened with torture, deprived of sleep and subjected to stress positions and told by local authorities unless they cooperated they would be fed to dogs.

Ghafoor has uncovered communication from British consular officials in the UAE which indicate they knew he was being questioned and did nothing to protect his rights. While under questioning he was subject to torture that resulted in a “confession” of being complicit in the London bombing. “I wrote a false confession and put crazy things in it like I have constant contact with Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden.”

British officials insist they had nothing to do with the imprisonment or torture. It was just another of those “misunderstandings” that continually appear in the history of Bush and Tony Blair.

Once upon a time a beautiful young princess met a nice man, they fell in love, had sex, and she had to return to the home of her husband. Her elderly hubby began to suspect foul play so the beautiful princess fled, not to a forest where she could find safety in the arms of a woodsman, but to the island of Great Britain. The UK has granted a Saudi Arabian princess asylum because if she returns home the prospect of being stoned or flogged to death or being subject of an “honor killing” are her most likely fate. It appears this is not the first case of asylum being given Saudi women who were indiscreet in their social lives. The British government keeps all such requests secret to avoid antagonizing the corrupt Saudi Arabian government which has oil.

A nation with abundant resources of oil does not have to enjoy bountiful supply of ethical behavior and respect for human decency. Last week in Saudi Arabia, our ally in the fight against terrorism, two sisters endured “honor killings” for the horrible crime of being seen in the company of two men. For those of us not members of the Muslim religion, it is unfortunate that so much of what we hear concerning this religion consists of killings, people being stoned and beheadings. It would be wonderful to come across stories of a women who was seen walking with a strange man is given a reward for being honest about her feelings and her two idiot brothers who wanted to kill her are sent to jail for an indefinite length of time.

Neil Livingston was convicted of planning a large scale terror plan that would have caused the death of many people if carried out, but like so many self-appointed petty minded individuals who was better at getting drunk than actually implementing his screw ball ideas. Mr. Livingston was caught when found urinating on a train. Police discovered a huge arsenal of bombs in his home that he wanted to use in killing Asians. In the process of developing plans to halt terrorist attacks, the United Kingdom is discovering that neo-Nazi anti Muslim groups also pose dangers for those who want democracy to succeed. Police discovered a notebook entitled, Waffen SS UK Members” as well as tennis bombs that could have resulted in the death of many people.

Mr. Livingston is an incompetent bumbler who inhabits a fantasy world in which Nazis arise once more and fight to drive out the hordes of “Asians” instead of “Jews.” He regards himself as a defender even as he assaults other humans. The question to pose is — why do these Neo-Nazis in 2009 admire the ideas of a philosophy which resulted in the death of ove a million people in the United Kingdom?

President Barack Obama promised if elected to change the law which forbids gays and lesbians to serve in their nation’s armed forces. Since the notorious, “don’t ask, don’t tell” law passed under the Clinton administration, over 12,000 gays and lesbians have been forced to resign from the armed forces including dozens of trained linguists in Arabic, a skill desperately needed in wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Israel lifted restrictions on gays and lesbians in 1992, and a recent cover of an Army magazine portrayed two gay soldiers kissing. Australia has lifted restrictions and the United Kingdom was compelled in 1999 by the European Court of Human Rights to allow gays and lesbians to serve in the armed forces.

Representative Patrick Murphy, the first Iraq war veteran to be elected to Congress expressed his anger at the current restrictions against gays and lesbians. “I take it as a personal affront to our warriors. To say that other countries’ soldiers are professional enough to handle this and Americans are not, is really a slap in the face.”

Of course, there is no evidence that those fighting in actual battle object to having gays and lesbians in their ranks.

The continuing economic crisis in the United Kingdom has created a new crisis in higher education as the number of those applying to enter colleges surges to new highs. University applicants were informed that due to a 10% rise in applications this year, there are currently 50,000 fewer spaces to accomodate those seeking a place at a university this fall. There are 52,000 more people applying, but the government has only allocated enough money to fill 3,000 more spaces in colleges. The most significant rise in student applications were in the areas of nursing, engineering, and courses combining sciences and languages. The cap on enrollment followed discovery of a $350,000,000 gap in university budgets.

The reality is whenever caps are set, those with money find the means to get around the cap and enter a college. Reality, as always, is that those from poorer families will be the ones who never get into college this year, and, next year does not look much brighter.

At a time when banks and stock brokers get billions of dollars to shore up their organizations it is difficult to explain why a few hundred million is not available for those seeking a university education. Perhaps, colleges should convert themselves in stock brokerage houses and ask for a bailout.

British Home Secretary Alan Johnson announced the government would not implement a trial plan to compel workers at Manchester Airport and London City airport to carry ID cards regardless of their desire for such a form of identification. He also made clear there would not be any attempt by the current British government to compel citizens of the nation to wear any form of identify card. “Holding an identity card should be a personal choice for British citizens– just as it is for a passport.” Johnson said if any future British government should implement such a program it would be best be the result of legislation voted in Parliament rather than a decision by a prime minister.

Mr. Johnson indicated he might be willing to give those over the age of 75 an Identity Card. As a 78 year old, I find this last suggestion rather insulting. Believe it or not, Mr. Johnson, those of us over the age of 75 actually know our names, addresses and phone numbers. I suggest if anyone needs an identity card it would be members of Parliament.

One of the mysteries of life is why people in urban areas and throughout most industrial societies insist they need guns to protect themselves against criminals. In the 1970s there were over 2,000 murders a year in New York City, but today the figure is under 700. However, talk to people on Long Island and they will mumble fears about “going into the city” because they might be mugged or killed. The just released British Crime Survey reveals the number of murders is at a 20 year low. Thefts and domestic burglaries are slightly up, but the overall crime rate is down b y 5%. However, most surveys of public opinion reveal the population believes crime rates are going up.

As a teacher of a history of crime course which ordinarily contains several police officers, I am amused how by the end of the course they shake their heads and mumble they never realized how greater crime was in the past than today. It would help if schools offered courses in the history of crime in order to make people aware they live in the safest time period in human history in terms of crime.

Of course, proponents of guns insist that crime is everywhere although there is no statistical evidence to support this view. Open a book on the history of crime and you will discover how crime in the past was more prevalent in the daily lives of people and more dangerous.